09/10/2022
Kingston 8, Ja. W.i.,These pads are very comfortable. They really protect and help.the toes.
15 to 18 True to size
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03/16/2021
Los Angeles,CAI wear the pads with gel side on my skin (I actually wear thin socks over them rather than tights under them) and they feel great. I recommend using a bit of baby powder or talc in them after you wear them.
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08/10/2020
Vancouver,WALove these toe pads! Make pointe much less painful. They do need to be replaced fairly often due to the material.
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04/20/2020
Parrottsville,TNThese make my pointe shoes way more comfy!
15 to 18
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07/17/2018These toe pads were very comfortable while they lasted, which was not very long. I dance on pointe four times a week and by the end of the week the gel was ripping away. After that they were no longer comfortable at all.
15 to 18 True to size
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05/05/2017I purchased the toe pads a month ago. I was looking for something that would be seamless. I wore them with the gel side on my foot and the sock side outwards, so the gel would hold onto my foot. They absorbed shock and were great overall, but after a month of use a hole ripped through the gel side. I have my toenails cut short, so unless I tape my nails it will rip the gel. They are good for light use, but if you dance en pointe more than twice a week, they won't last.
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06/03/2016
Shreveport,LAThese are amazingly comfortable! Although, a week after I had gotten them, they turned yellow at the tip! Gross! If you forget to trim your toenails, they will create holes. Not very durable.
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05/14/2016
Little Rock,ARI have been using these toe pads for a little over a year. They are very comfortable. The main issue with them is they are not durable. If you are just starting pointe then they are great for you. If you dance more I do not recommend them for you. I just bought a new pair recently and they already are starting to get holes. This has also happened to a few other people at my studio.
15 to 18 True to size
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09/24/2015Of all the toe pads I've tried, these are the most comfortable. They also aren't too big and fit nicely in my shoes. My biggest complaint is that they don't last very long. I needed to replace my first pair after only 8 classes.
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09/17/2015These are great! The gel is thin, soft & totally absorbs shock. Oh and the sock thingy is awesome! I just wish both sides were covered in sock (I get sweaty feet).
I used to get really bad pain on the outside corner of my toenails, blisters & split/bloody nail when just wearing lambswool pads and Blochs. Now I just started taking pointe classes again after 10 years, so I was concerned about preventing injuries & not being in pain. Coupled with Gaynor Mindens, super spacers & tape, I have no pain & yet they don't make my toes go numb.
The only drawback is they aren't as durable as I had hoped (I've had them for 4 months and dance in them only 1-2 hours per week), and a few places are crumbling--still wearable though. Wearing tights & covering the top edge of my two big toenails with toe tape helps.
A few notes on sizing. If you're getting fitted for new shoes, make sure to try the pad on with the shoes. It's thick enough that my shoe is loose without it. (I wear street size 8 & the ball of my foot is wide, so ML is just perfect.)
22-29
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05/06/2015I just received my Gellows in the mail today. They fit well and are comfortable, but they are too thick (thicker than Ouch Pouches) and I cannot get my pointe shoes on with them on. Since pointe shoes cost more, I will be returning these. Perhaps I will try them again when I'm ready to buy new pointe shoes and can try them with a bigger size shoe. Not sure how much that will help though.
22-29
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01/04/2015I LOVE these toe pads! I use them for my right foot only (it's a little smaller than my left foot) and they're AMAZING. I used to put the gel side against my foot, but once your feet get sweaty the sweat pools in the bottom and starts making audible squishing sounds every time you go up on pointe... awkward. So I started using the fabric side against my foot and there aren't squishy sounds anymore. I've been using one pair for over a year now and they still haven't torn or deteriorated. The only signs of wear are a little discoloration and the smell, of course ;) Would definitely recommend these, especially if you'd like a pad that covers all your toes (so you don't have to tape them!) and is durable and thick.
15-18
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11/29/2014Iam an advanced dancer at my studio, and i got these for my upcoming performance, I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND AT ALL i had them for less then a month and the gel started peeling off .
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10/03/2014I bought these for my beginning pointe, daughter. Well, she was in a two hour intensive for two weeks, but they were only on pointe for about 10 minutes a day. They started to come apart within two days of only being warn for 20 minutes. I bought a second pair and they started to come apart the first day she wore them. I would never buy these again. The lambswool seems to be a better choice.
40-49
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06/04/2014Super comfortable and they are awesome for sweaty dancers. The "sock" material keeps your toes dry better than my ouch pouches. I like to use the taller wider side on my big toe to prevent bunions.
30-39
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02/15/2014I would not recommend these at all. They were fine at first but after about wearing them a couple times, the gel comes detached from the cloth. Then they become too thin to wear with pointe shoes. Don't waste your money.
15-18
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01/26/2014These are great toe pads but are think. i where Gaynor mindin pointe shoes so these are very thick. but these are great for beginners
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12/26/2013i got these for a 5 week summer intensive with pointe 45 min every day at the beginning of the 2 week the gel were my big tow was started to peel off because my nails were to long and they penetrated the gel. i learned it the hard way they you have to cut your toenails i still use those same toe pads only shift the toe pad so that the place without gel would be were my second toe and middle toe is. Also i carry around scissors in my pointe shoe bag if my toenail needs a trim
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10/21/2013Well, like I just got my pointe shoes and I used them without the toe pads. So when I put these on, they were great! I prefer the gel side plus, they still need to be broken in. Overall ther'yr good.
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08/21/2013I loooooove these toe pads!!!! You can wear these 2 ways!!! You can wear it with the gel facing the foot and the fabric facing the foot!!! And they are absolutely AMAZING!!! It's soooo comfy and I can still feel the floor!!!! I would recommend these to everyone!!!!
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07/02/2013These were my first and favorite pair of toe pads. The only problem is that mine gellows wore of very quickly by the toe. Other than that they are my favorite pair!
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06/08/2013I like these a lot, as they are super comfy, but the gel on the very tip started to crumble and crack after the second time I used them. They still work perfectly and feel just as good as new, so not really any huge problems there. I wear them with the gel side facing out and recommend doing the same if your feet sweat a lot. They do come a little small; my feet aren't really big (maybe about 3 1/4 or 3 1/2 inches wide, size 6 streetshoe) and my toes are pretty short, but I ordered a M/L just to be safe and they fit great. They could definitely stretch to fit bigger feet if needed, though. They allow you to feel the floor through them without being too thin, which is great. They're a great product and by far the best toe pads I've had yet.
15-18
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04/18/2013I love my gellows! I can still feel the floor in them but they're thick enough to keep my toes protected. I just use the gellows and a little bit on lambswool at the tip of my pointe shoe and they're perfect!
15-18
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04/08/2013AMAZING toe pads! I have had these for about a year and a half. I dance on pointe twice a week, one class is 1.5 hours and the other 1 hr and 15 min. These have held up for a very long time! They are getting a bit gross but I can still wear them. I would recommend washing them (if you can, not sure with the gel...) I would also recommend not wearing the gel part directly on your foot because if your feet sweat they tend to move around. When I first got them they seemed to not fit right, but they molded to my foot over time and they fit perfectly. These are incredible and I would DEFINITELY recommend these to anyone!
15-18
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02/16/2013At first the pad felt too thick to and didn't allow me to feel the floor. After dancing in them for a little while they seemed to start breaking in. I was able to feel the floor and they weren't too thick. But soon both pads started to tear really bad on the big toe. I realized that it was because I was wearing the gel on the inside and my toe nails were cutting into it. So, I got a second pair and only wore the sock part on the inside. But not long after they started to tear in the same place.
Once you break them in they feel pretty good and I have never had blister, I just wish that they would last longer.
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02/08/2013If you wear these with tights, they are fairly comfortable. However, if you wear them without they get very sticky and sweaty and can even have a kind of "vacuum effect" on your feet. Besides, the gel starts to break after a few months. These were my first toe pads and I use lambswool now because my pointes already offer some protection so these toe pads just made them bulky.
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01/22/2013Gellows are wonderful. These are the toe pads I got when i first started point, and they were great for me as a beginner. They greatly decreased the pressure on my toes, but still allowed me to feel the floor so I could learn. I really liked how they are reversible, because you can choose to have the fabric or the gel side against your foot. I used them with the gel against my feet, but I always wore tights with them because the gel side isn't as breathable. (My feet would sweat & the toe pads would get very gross when I wore them gel-side in without tights). Also, when I wore them fabric-side in over tights, they would slide around. So I guess the side you use and the tights over/ tights under/ no tights issues are up to personal preference, but these toe pads can be adapted to any preference. Some people say that these do not last very long; for instance, a girl in my class also had these, and she shredded the gel in about a month. However, where she had long toenails and wore them gel-side in withOUT tights, I kept my toenails extremely short and wore them gel-side in with tights. Basically, the durability of these toe pads depends on how well you take care of them. I took very good care of mine and they lasted for over three years. I would definitely suggest these toe pads.
15-18
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01/02/2013I've always used the standard thick gel pads, but they never fitted my feet like I wanted them too. When I tried ouch pouches, they were too thin. When I recently got fitted for new pointe shoes, the staff member recommended these. I tried them with the gel side in, and they were FANTASTIC!!!! They allowed me to feel the floor, but were very comfortable. The fitter also suggested that I wear them with the lambs wool pad on top of them for extra comfort, but nothing too cushion-y. It was absolutely perfect, and has been the best duo I have tried. My only complaint is the durability. They held up fine until I had a show. Then the gel started to tear on the inside and I got several blood blisters after only two shows. Next time I will try the fabric on the inside or put them on the outside of my tights (I had been wearing them underneath). Otherwise, I would definitely recommend them!!! Fantastic pads!!!
15-18
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10/08/2012I've been on pointe for 8 years now, and these are the only toe pads I will ever use. They're comfortable with the gel both out and in. I prefer to wear my tights, then these toe pads with the gel facing inward against my tights. You can also wear these with the cloth against your toes and your tights over the outside; this works well with convertible tights.
However, I wouldn't recommend these for barefoot pointe work. The gel tears easily, so you'll want to take extra care of your toenails when using these, and tights against the gel side, inside or out, protect both your feet and the toe pad. As long as you take care of your feet and your pointe shoes, these can last up to 6 months, which is fabulous.
I love that I can feel the floor when I wear these. They absorb the shock and pressure, and they relieve friction around the toes, but they're not so thick that you feel like your feet are floating or swimming in padding.
My only hangup is that the vamp doesn't go up very high, so my big toe and pinky knuckles are sometimes abused more than I'd like. I think I'll try the Xtra Long Gellows that are available now :)
19-21 True to size
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09/23/2012Highly recommended! !! They are so slim and confort that I could dance with them all day long!
22-29 True to size
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07/08/2012After one class with these toe pads, the gel had torn in numerous places. I was having trouble with my pointe shoes, and these toe pads didn't feel at all like they were helping, and after wards, i realized it was because the gel in contact with the toes touching the box had peeled off, leaving a thin layer of fabric for protection.... Never, ever again! Worse choice I've ever made in toe pads!!
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06/15/2012I got these as my second toepads, and have stayed true to them ever since... i' have tried other brands, but these work the best for me...about a week ago i broke through my toepads,and had to get another pair...but prior to them breaking i've had them close to 3-months and thats with me dancing for 4-5 hours everyday minus sundays....i' also have the pink and purple colored carousel ones for days when my feet want to feel the floor more....keep in mind i have very strong feet and have been on pointe for 8-years now....i' highly recommend these to everyone....
15-18 True to size
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04/26/2012I really like these toe pads. They are the first kind I have ever had (it's my first year in Pointe) and I love them! What I like about them is that they are not too bulky, but they really absorb the pain. I hardly feel anything when I go up onto pointe. All it feels like is if someone touched your big toe with their finger, and that's it! What I didn't necessarily love about them is that if you wash them, they take a really long time to dry. I wear my pointe shoes two days a week (Tuesday and Friday) and there is not enough time for them to dry in between those days. But the only other problem I had with them was that the rubber does rip somewhat easily, but I just switched them and wore them on the opposite foot, and they worked! But overall, I really like them, I think that they are comfortable, and really pain absorbent. The first few times I wore them, they gave me little blister things, but they went away and I don't get them anymore. I would definitely recommend them!
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04/17/2012I was really excited when I first got these from the store. I really love the feel of gel in my pointe shoes, but I didn't want anything too bulky.
These were NOT the answer though.
By the end of the first class I had already broken through the gel on both of my big toes, leaving me with nothing but the flimsy fabric lining it.
Not fun.
Go with ouch pouches.
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04/12/2012These toepads are the best I have used so far! They have two sides, one is a fabric, while the other is a gel. The fabric side helps to absorb sweat instead of retain it and the gel provides extra comfort. They are thin enough so that you can still feel the floor, but they are thick enough so that you don't have much pain. I used lambs wool before this and although I think it is good for beginners these pads are definitely the best out there! The only bad thing about them is that if you wear the gel side closest to your foot you have to make sure that there is a layer of something (tights, toe tape, or something) in between your foot and the gel, or your toenails may rip the gel. Other than that these are my favorite toepads EVER and I will definitely buy them again!
15-18 True to size
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03/11/2012comfy, different, and last till you need new ones.
cool beans.
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03/07/2012Before trying these, I was a long time user of Bunheads Ouch pouch pro pads. They were ok, but I was getting tired of using them. So I decided to try something different and went for these. I was so excited when I got them and couldn't wait to try them out. The first few times I wore them they seemed thick and slightly uncomfortable. No matter which side (gel or fabric) I wore it on, they felt like they were moving around inside my shoe, NOT something you want to feel. After about the first month with these, the gel started getting gross and as another reviewer put it, the gel was disintegrating. It came off in little chunks and bits. I honestly wish I could write a review saying positive things about this toe pad, but sadly, my experience with Gellows wasn't a good one.
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01/26/2012Ever since I started pointe i've always used these toe pads! I was fitted for them with my first pointe shoes and I haven't wanted to try any other brand yet!
I know some people say these toe pads are far too thick for them, but I find these perfect. They have just the right amount of padding for me to not feel any pain, yet I can still feel the floor just fine in them. My only downside is that they can tend to wear out quickly, but that's not that big of a deal, I just buy more. ;)
Being that these are reversible, you can also have a choice on how you want to wear them in your shoe. If you want to wear them under your tights, I'd suggest gel on the outside is best as the fabric wicks away the moisture from your feet. Switch the gel to the inside if you're wearing them over your tights.
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08/09/2011The first time I got these, they were amazing; but after a few times, the gel at the top started to wear off and so my big toe was not getting any protection. Now I wear another toe pad over it. Otherwise, they are really good and they help a lot!
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07/23/2010
Wilmette, Il,These are the best gel pads I have ever found. They are not so bulky that you can't feel the tips of your toes. They are flexible, fit my foot wonderfully, and allow full range of motion. I like that they are reversible, so that I can wear the soft part against my skin. For me they are perfect, the ideal blend of protection and freedom.
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07/10/2010
Santa Barbara,They're the best I've found, and I can feel thru to the floor. Easily washable. They do come apart at the sides a bit but it stays there and doesn't travel at all. They're the only thing that's protected my pedicure, and I have an intricate flower painted on my big toe with a tiny gem stuck to it. I already loved these but color me impressed about that. They fit my small feet and toes really well. Though if you're feet are 7.5 or bigger I'd say buy the larger size. Worth the money!
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05/01/2010These were my first toe pads and I still get them today. I gladly recommend them to anyone in need of toe pads, they are comfy and protective, but you still feel what you're doing. :) All in all AMAZING!!
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04/20/2010
Murr. Ca,I LOVE these. They can be a little too much protection at times but in the right shoes they are perfect! U can feel the ground but it doesn't hurt!!!
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03/07/2010At first, these toe pads felt great. They had just the right amount of padding and were very comfortable. After a while, though, the tips broke apart, and where padding was needed the most, there was hardly any. To top it off, they smelt terribly. But, minus the deteriorating and stench, I highly recommend these.
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01/20/2010
Pennsylvania,I hate these toe pads. They are way too thick. If you wear them gel side they get sweaty even if you powder them. The fabric side gets sweaty too. I can't feel the floor at all when I wear them. The only thing I like is that if you don't get a lot of pain when you wear them. They are good for beginners.
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01/17/2010I used to wear lambs wool toe pads that I would make myself from a rope of lambs wool but I got tired of them and consistenly got blisters. I switched to these last summer and I love them!! You can still feel the floor but it is virtually painless. I had a 5 hour Nutcracker rehearsal and my toes barely hurt! The only drawback is you have to replace them often, but they are definitely worth it!
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12/05/2009I absolutely love these! They allow you to feel the floor really well, but that doesn't mean you sacrifice comfort. I really like how the gel part molds to your foot while en pointe, so it works with the natural contour of your toes. These are really reasonably priced; all you need to do is liven them up with some talcum powder and an occasional hand-wash.
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11/13/2009
Pennsylvania,I think this depends on the kind of shoe you wear. Before I got Russian Pointes, I had Capezio Contemporas, and they were fine with a little lambswool. Now I have Russians and they are terrible(the pads, I mean)! I have to double them up to get any relief and that makes the shoe fit wrong. Also they ARE NOT GEL!!!
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11/05/2009After reading all the wonderful reviews on this, I thought these toe pads would be great. They were not. The end of the pads are really pointy and my feet don't fit all the way in. My feet slid around in my shoes and I couldn't feel the floor at all. I had to change toe pads after fifteen minutes.
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09/28/2009
Pennsylvania,I like these a lot. I'm on my first year on pointe and these are very comfortable. I like that they are reversible but I usually use the gel side. When I'm wearing these I feel no pain but I can't really feel the floor. It's like I'm dancing on air and not on the floor. My other classmate said that I shouldn't wear these and get the kind she uses the lambs wool with gel tips [also by Pillows for Pointes.] But overall I like these.
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08/08/2009I love these pads!!! I have been on pointe for almost three years and they work amazing!!!! So far I have only bought two, and a third because I lost the second pair. They work very very well, I found that if you put them over the tights, they last longer, and I always flip them inside out so that the gel is touching my tights, after a while they start to get dirty, and the gel starts to peel off, but once that happens a little bit, they are still SUPER comfortable. I love them and will continue to buy them.
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07/23/2009I have used these pads for several years. I like how you can 'feel' the floor yet after use, they begin to thin around the big toe area and the gel will rip if your toenails are too long.
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07/16/2009I love these pads. They let me feel the floor with no pain. The only thing is that they do rip easily, but they are SOOOOO worth it. Love them!!! Oh! Do they make anyone's toes slimy when they wear them? They do that to mine, but they don't to my friends, who have the same ones.
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06/30/2009I just replaced my clear eurotard pads with these and love them. They allow me to feel the floor without hurting. They also do not squish my toes so much and make them numb.
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02/21/2009
New Jersey,I've been on pointe for a year and a half and I have and used these for all three pairs of pointes. However, if you don't keep them in a bag of powder, they really get ruined. They make your feet all sweaty and they begin to tear very easily. If you keep them in powder, they don't tear as quickly and helps them last a little longer.
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12/25/2008
Texas,These things are great! I've used mine for 3 years and plan on ordering another pair. I LOVE THEM! They offer so much comfort!
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11/29/2008
Tennessee,These are my favorite ever! I have been using them for 3 years or so now. I started out with the regular lambs wool and those wore out quickly, and then tried gels but couldn't feel the floor. These are thin and comfortable. They do smell but they are easily hand washed. I did change pointe shoe brands recently, and I slide down in the box with them now, but if I wear two pads instead of one they work just as well and I can still feel the floor. Fabulous buy!
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11/15/2008
Austin Tx,For any Irish dancers out there; these are AMAZING for block work! They made all the difference for me. They are thin enough that you can still feel the floor but make block work virtually painless. Also they are great when your hardshoes are getting a little stretched out but you don't want a new pair yet...they help fill in the space at the end of the shoe. A great product!
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06/30/2008I ordered these Gellows Reversibles to try them. My Ouch Pouches had hurt me before and I had to throw them away for issues not related to dancing (pets).
I am an overweight woman who is trying to get back into dance and I need a lot of cushioning. I have to wear other padding with them as well. However, I like them a lot better than the Ouch Pouches and they fit more comfortably. I use the gel side on the inside and put my other padding on the cotton lining side. Thank you so much for your quick delivery (3 days from ordering).
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06/04/2008These shoes are the best! I thought for sure they wouldn't fit cause my pointe shoes were already too small but they were perfect! You should definitely buy these!
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05/06/2008
Missouri,Pretty neat- they really cushioned my feet, but I could still feel the floor. Fit well to my feet too. The only problem I've ever had with them is that the toes wear out sometimes. Still really good for the price.
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03/01/2008I like these, but I only wore them for about 3 months, once a week and they had a hole in them.
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01/20/2008
Decatur, In,I have been off of pointe for three years and just bought a new pair of pointe shoes for the 4 hours of pointe I will be doing a week. I wanted to get some new toe pads and I put these on and they felt amazing on my feet! They didn't hurt or anything. I would recommend these to anyone!
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12/21/2007
Casper, Wy,As the only toe padding I have yet tried, I have been pleased with Gellows. They are not too thick (for me as a beginning pointe student, at least) and yet make a huge difference in comfort with my pointe shoes. The reversible idea is good, although if the gel side is put toward the foot, even with tights, it tends to get nicks and tears in it. Also, they need to be washed and powdered every use to really remain fresh! Overall, I find them about perfect for me and my shoes.
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11/24/2007
Ohio,I wear a street shoe size 8.5 and bought the M/L Gellows. They're enormous! Thick and long and ungainly. They take up a ridiculous amount of space in the shoe (when I was fitted with them, I went up half a size in length and one width wider than my normal pointe shoe sizing). I thought it might be worth it to protect my tapered toes and bunion from long rehearsal days of spending 10+ hours in my pointe shoes. I was wrong. They suffocated my feet, I could barely feel the floor, and they soiled way too easily; I took them off and gave them away halfway through my first day in them. I happily went back to Skinny Dips and Big Tips and my normal shoe size.
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11/17/2007
Goleta Ca,No matter what shoe I tried with these pads in, they made my feet numb and restricted the flexibility of my demi-point. Because trimming them ruined the supportiveness of my shoes, I ended up in more pain than ever with them in. That, and I have narrow feet with long toes, and so must wear shoes for them, which these absolutely will not fit into. Also, no amount of tender care kept them from tearing under the big toe by the third 2-hour class. ouch!!
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11/09/2007
North Carolina,I absolutely love these toe pads! I am a beginner and these were my second pair of toe pads. Of course, you have to powder them after you wear them, but they are stil da bomb!
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11/08/2007These toe pads are great! If you have problems with them tearing, you should try putting baby powder on them when they start to get sticky! It works wonders!
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08/19/2007
Arizona,I have had these toe pads for over two years now and they are still in wonderful shape. I've not experienced any of the "cracking" of the gel or tearing that others have written about. However, one thing that has made me consider trying something different is a slight restrictive feeling when wearing them. They take up a great deal of space in my shoes and are a little sticky, so the box feels very full and tight, to the point where I feel I cannot flex my shoes as much as I really am capable of. They don't allow nearly as much motion as lamb's wool pads but they offer much more comfort! Also, you can trim them to fit inside your shoe and not stick out, which does help the movement issue a little.
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07/11/2007On the one hand, these do offer great impact protection to the toes and also protect the metatarsal joints (good if you have bunions). If you need to take up an extra bit of space in the box because of very narrow feet, these do the trick. However, they are VERY thick and just plain huge. If you weren't fitted while wearing these, chances are they won't even allow you to get your foot in the box. I have very narrow tapered feet and wear them in "slightly tapered" shoes just fine. I wear them gel side against my tights/fabric side against the shoe to be the most comfortable. However, in my "tapered" shoes, they simply don't work. I still prefer to use Gaynor Minden box liners with Big Tips: gives the same amount of protection to the same spots with a fraction of the bulk.
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05/07/2007
Vancouver, Wa,OK, so I had some pointe shoes and got Gellows and they made my feet and shoes look very funny. But then I got new pointe shoes and they are the best toe pads I have ever had. I love them!
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04/02/2007
Honolulu, Hi,I thought these were wonderful. They work for me very well. They stay put and don't move about at all. You can wear them either side, so it really all depends on your mood. I wear the gel side on my toes, and pointe is painless for me.
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02/15/2007
Maryland,These toe pads are amazing! My friend got them and said they were great, so I decided to try them. They provide just enough cushioning and I can still feel the floor a little bit ( that's all that I want). I would recommend these to any dancer!
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01/26/2007I originally got these from a diff. store where they were $20, but they're lifesavers! All the other girls in my class complain about how much their feet hurt, but not me! I have tapered toes, and these things really cushion them. They are def. worth the money, and DDS has a nice price.
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01/15/2007
Tennessee,I had these for my very first toe pads, and they lasted me "Maybe" 3 classes. Then I got a hole in them and my toes were killing me. Before they ripped they felt good. Not worth the money.
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01/12/2007I LOVE these toe pads! I tried Ouch Pouches, Big Tips, lambs wool, those blue gel pads...you name it, but I started using Gellows 3 years ago and I'm never going back! I have an unusually long big toe and really tapered feet, so I hated pointe because my toenails were always bruised. Then I tried Gellows and I couldn't believe the difference it made! They're sooo comfortable and they're not too thick, so you can still feel the floor. The only problem I had is the gel rips off after a while. I have to buy a new pair every 4 months or so, but they're definitely worth it! Gellows are by far the best toepad I've ever tried!
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01/08/2007
Ohio,I've been on pointe for 15 years and perform frequently (which means lots of 12 hour rehearsal days!). So I've tried anything and everything to make pointe more comfortable over the years, especially when recovering from minor injuries. These rank in the top 10 of pointe padding. They have impact protection, protection for my longer big toe (which is a blessed relief, as all of you with tapered feet understand), they don't compromise my ability to feel the floor, don't numb my toes, don't cause me to have to shift the way I dance on pointe or even to buy a different size shoe.
The only reason I didn't give them 5 stars is the durability. Granted, they last longer than many pads IF YOU CARE FOR THEM PROPERLY, but even then they won't last as long as the Bunheads products. But that means washing them (not too frequently though, which can be worse than not washing them often enough); baby powdering them; and if you have tapered feet, alternating which side you have facing your toes and which foot you wear them on. That greatly decreases the likelihood of the gel tearing at the big toe region too quickly (which can happen in as little as 1 month's time if you keep wearing the same pad with the same side facing your toes on the same foot).
All in all, I recommend them. I always keep a pair on hand, and find myself routinely reaching into my dance bag for them after 5 hours on pointe at a stretch. At which point, my feet thank me and I can get on with the rest of my rehearsal day and concentrate on the dance (not my poor toes).
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11/23/2006
New Mexico,I love these toe pads! They are great! I use them with another Freed toe pad that is thin because they do tend to wear out in time. I highly recommend them for people who like ultimate comfort!
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11/12/2006
Colorado,The first couple of weeks that I used these toe pads, I thought that pointe was so painless. After about a month and a half, the gel got really dirty, sticky and started to fall apart. I wish these toe pads were a little more durable because they are great if you want to keep buying new ones every four weeks. I think it could get expensive!
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11/08/2006
Ohio,These are the best toe pads out there.
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07/28/2006
Rhode Island,I love these toe pads! I've tried a lot of different ones, but these are by far the best. Like already said, they allow you to feel the floor well. A quick tip- they stay in better shape longer if you powder them with baby powder about every other wear.
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06/19/2006I have been using these for about 2 1/2 years and I love them. Previously, I either went without or used paper towels because I hate not being able to feel the floor. However, I was tired of my toes being completely hideous, so I decided to give these a try and I love them. They keep my feet from getting torn up yet are thin enough for me to feel the floor. I dust mine with baby powder after each use and they last forever - I still have my first pair!
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06/09/2006
Ohio,I like these a lot. I am a beginner and they are very comfortable. I tried on the Ouch Pouches and they did nothing for me!!! I would recommend them to any one.
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04/15/2006
L.a. California,LOVE THEM!!! You get a lot less blisters while dancing with these! Very comfortable and affordable. Every pointe dancer should have a pair of these.
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